Marriage
by The Dark Knight's Revenge
Summary: Ron proposes to Hermione in the Chamber of Secrets during the final battle, but keeping the one you love safe during the destruction of Hogwarts is hard... Even for a Weasley.
1. Chapter 1

Ron and Hermione stood frozen, staring at the place where the wall of water had just been before it crashed down on them.

It was eerily quiet, only the sound of their ragged breathing could be heard.

As if they had the same thought at the same time, Ron and Hermione turned to each other and began kissing hard, lips melding together as their arms wrapped around one another.

It seemed like an eternity before they broke apart, gasping for breath.

"So, does this mean you'll go out with me?" Ron said awkwardly, his ears turning red.

Hermione blushed and then nodded, pulling the redhead close for another kiss.

"Took you long enough" She breathed when they broke apart. Ron grinned.

Hermione began to shiver, her drenched form shaking like a leaf. Ron began to take off his jacket, meaning to give it her, then realized it was sopping too. He pulled his wand out of his front pocket instead, and siphoned the water off Hermione.

"Thanks Ron" She said, marveling that for once, Ron was the one fixing the problem. Ron nodded in reply then used his wand to get the water off of himself.

"Hard to believe I was here only five years ago... It seems so long ago now" Ron said, walking over and picking up the smoking Hufflepuff cup.

"I wish I was able to go with you... Instead of getting myself petrified" Hermione replied, tears pricking her eyes. Ron turned around, hearing the change in her tone.

"Nonsense, Hermione. It wasn't your fault" Ron pulled her into his arms, happy when she didn't resist him.

"I was relieved that you didn't go with us... You could have gotten hurt, or eaten, or something of the like. I didn't want you to be in danger" Ron continued.

Hermione looked up, startled at Ron's confession. His cheeks flushed when she met his gaze, but she could see something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before.

Ron Weasley wasn't a boy anymore...

"Oh, Ron"

Their lips were locked again, the Hufflepuff cup clanging to the floor as Ron's hands went to Hermione's waist, pulling her closer to him. They had both wanted this for so long... Why hadn't they realized their feelings sooner?

When they broke apart, Ron brushed a tendril of hair out of Hermione's eyes.

"We might leave this chamber tonight and both die, so I just want you to know, Hermione Granger... I love you. I-" He cleared his throat.

"I-think i've loved you from the very moment you began bossing me around on the Hogwarts express"

Hermione couldn't help the two tears that fell down her dusty cheeks. Ron took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. She clasped her hands around his wrists.

"I love you too" She whispered. "Since I sat next to you on the train... Even more when you saved me from the troll" Ron smiled at the memory from so long ago.

"I barely remember that... We were what? Eleven?" Hermione chuckled.

Ron hugged her close, laughing as well. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into his chest.

"Do you remember how I started to cry when Buckbeak was killed? And you held me just like this?" Hermione asked in a small voice.

"How could I forget?" Ron replied as he threaded his hands through Hermione's thick brown hair. The two were silent for a while.

Up above, an explosion sounded. jarring them apart.

"It's begun" Hermione whispered as they looked up at the ceiling. Ron didn't say anything, but bent to grab the relic of Hufflepuff, slipping it in Hermione's bag as they walked to the door.

Just as they reached the portal, Ron took Hermione's hand and spun her around, pressing her to the wall. His lips were on hers, and Hermione could feel the raw emotion in the contact. Ron pulled away, still pinning her to the wall.

"We might die tonight, 'Mione" He stated as another explosion sounded from above. Hermione nodded.

"I just want you to know that I will protect you until they curse the life out of me, I won't leave your side for an instant" Hermione felt herself tearing up again as Ron spoke.

"I'll do the same for you, and you know it" She whispered. Ron's intense blue eyes met hers, and she felt the love in the look he gave her.

"I just want to ask you one thing, Hermione... And I know it's a bit sudden, seeing as we just got together" Ron said. She nodded.

Taking her completely by surprise, Ron knelt down on one knee, not caring if he soaked his pant leg on the slimy floor.

"When this is all over, will you marry me?" Hermione's eyes widened.

"This is... sudden" She breathed.

She met Ron's eyes and flashed back on all the times they had been together. When he had stood up for her, when he had made her cry, when she had been able to tell him her problems... Ron had always been there for her.

* * *

Ron stared into Hermione's brown eyes, hoping he hadn't asked the wrong question. He had realized all in about a space of a minute that he loved this girl more than anything else, more than he had ever felt attracted to Lavender Brown, more than he had been love potioned by Romilda Vane.

He loved her.

He could remember when Hermione had punched Malfoy in their third year, how proud he was. How guilty he had felt every time he had made her cry. How he had brought her flowers one day in their fourth year, but then saw her with Victor Krum and threw them away.

He loved her.

* * *

"Yes" Hermione whispered. Ron was so lost thinking about Hermione that he almost missed her answer.

"R-really?" He asked, standing up and taking both her hands. Hermione nodded, unable to keep a smile off her face.

"Brilliant" He breathed, leaning in to kiss his fiancee with renewed passion.

"I love you, Hermione Granger" Ron managed to gasp in between kisses.

"Hermione Weasley" She replied when they broke apart.

Ron began to dig in his pockets feverishly, watched curiously by Hermione. At last, he pulled something out of his front pocket, presenting it to Hermione.

Hermione gasped as a small diamond ring was slipped on her fourth finger.

"It was hidden in the Dilluminator Dumbledore gave me. It's not much, but all I have" Hermione stared at it in silence, eyes wide. Ron thought for a second that he had made a mistake.

"It's beautiful and perfect, Ron! I couldn't ask for anything better" Hermione threw her arms around him, nearly knocking the burly redhead over.

"I'm glad you like it" He replied.

They kissed one last time, then grasped hands and climbed through the door, ready to face their fate, no matter what happened.


	2. Chapter 2

A half hour later, Ron, Hermione and Harry stood in the middle of the Room of Requirement, staring around at the piles of junk. Harry held the diadem in his hands.

"Well, that's that" Ron said, looking at his friends.

A sudden shout caused them to turn around, barely avoiding the curses throw their way. Malfoy, Zabini and Goyle were standing across from them, throwing curses.

A flash of red light hit the diadem, causing it to fly out of Harry's hands and onto a pile of furniture. Hermione cried out as a curse narrowly missed her shoulder.

"OI!" Ron yelled, running at the Slytherins like a mad bull. "NOT MY WIFE, YOU BASTARDS!" The Slytherins turned and ran.

"...Did I miss something?" Harry asked, turning to Hermione, who was bright red. She held up her left hand, showing him the ring.

Harry grinned, then turned and began to climb up the pile of furniture, beckoning for Hermione to follow him.

His best friends were getting married... After showing no real sign of attraction, they were engaged...

He would have to find Ginny after all this was over, and say a few things that needed to be said.

"They're setting the bloody room on fire!" Ron yelled, tearing back to his friends with fiendfyre right on his heels. The heat blasted them full force, burning all in its path as it raced after Ron.

"Ronald!" Hermione cried, reaching her hand down to him. He dove onto the pile of furniture just as Harry held up the found diadem. The flames licked the bottom of the pile dangerously.

"How are we going to get out?" Ron yelled over the roar of the fire. Harry clambered to the top of the teetering pile of junk, Ron and Hermione following suit. Ron spotted a pile of brooms to their right, still untouched by the inferno below. Across the room, Malfoy and Zabini were perched on their own pile, no sign of Goyle.

"Harry! We need to jump to the other pile, there's brooms we can use to escape there!" Ron yelled. Harry and Hermione nodded. Harry jumped first, landing squarely on an old trunk. Ron jumped next, landing next to Harry. THe pile shook, then stabilized. Ron reached his arms out for Hermione.

The fire swelled and Hermione stepped back, unsure.

"Hermione, jump!" Ron and Harry yelled. Flames began to lick the bottom of the crate where Hermione stood. Ron felt hot tears of fear running down his face.

Hermione took a deep breath, choking on the ash in the air. She ran forwards and leapt off the top of the crate, just in time for it to tumble down into the flames below.

Her feet landed on the very edge of the trunk and she began to fall backwards with a scream. Ron and Harry dove forwards to grab her hands before she fell to her death. They caught her just as she fell, her legs dangling down. The fire hadn't gotten to their pile yet, so they were safe momentarily, but even as they thought this, the flames began to surge up to where Hermione's legs were.

"Hold on" Ron said, grasping her left arm with everything he had. Harry did the same with the right.

"I-I can't" Hermione gasped, her skin bright with sweat. As her hands began to perspire too, she began to slip, the diamond ring digging into Ron's palm.

"I love you both" Hermione whispered.

Then she fell.

"NO!" Ron and Harry screamed.

Hermione's yell was cut short by a thud sound from below. The pile shook a bit. Harry and Ron peered down to see Hermione laying at an odd angle on a metal trunk that had fallen when they jumped. She was unconscious. The fire was burned very near the bottom, heating the metal of the trunk quickly.

Ron jumped down without a second thought, gathering Hermione into his arms as tears streamed down his face. Harry hung over the edge of the top trunk, pulling Hermione up when Ron handed her to him.

Ron was about to climb back up when the metal trunk beneath his feet began to shift, throwing him sideways. He grabbed onto the edge of it, screaming as it burned his hands.

"RON!" Harry yelled, pulling out his wand. He shot a jet of water at the trunk, cooling it a little so Ron could regain his grip. Ron pulled himself up onto the other junk, kicking the metal trunk down into the inferno below. Then, he clambered up to where Harry was kneeling, trying to revive Hermione.

"We have to get her to wake up!" Harry yelled to Ron. Ron nodded and pulled out his wand, pointing it at Hermione's purse.

"Accio smelling salts!" A small bottle flew out of the purse and into Ron's hand. He uncorked it, waving it under Hermione's nose. He sighed when her eyes began to open.

While Ron was reviving Hermione, Harry pulled out three brooms from below his feet. When Hermione was awake, he threw one to her and Ron. Soon, they were soaring above the piles of junk, watching as their beloved Room of Requirement was burned.

A shout came from one of the piles, where Zabini and Malfoy stood.

"We can't leave them!" Harry yelled, swooping down to grab Malfoy. Ron grumbled, but grabbed Zabini just in time.

Together, the five of them, Slytherin and Gryffindor alike, flew at breakneck speed towards the door.

They zoomed out just as the flames billowed to the door, following them. The five tumbled off their brooms, Hermione tossing a Basilisk fang to Harry.

Harry stabbed the diadem, blinking smoke out of his eyes. The diadem burst, spilling evil black vapor from it. Harry tossed the diadem through the door into the fiery inferno that was waiting, collapsing into a nearby wall when the door slammed shut.

Visions of Voldemort's mind flashed before his eyes; shock, rage, anger. He gasped and choked, unable to breathe.

Then the pressure on his chest was gone, and his eyes cleared to the sight of the corridor. Ron, Hermione, Malfoy and Zabini lay on the ground, coughing to clear their lungs.

"Mione?" Came Ron's shaky voice from where the redhead lay on his back. Hermione coughed uncontrollably, trying to pull herself on her stomach to his side.

"Mione!" Ron cried out as he heard Hermione choking. He crawled to where she lay facedown, and pulled her into his arms.

Harry watched the scene between his best friends play out. He had almost lost them both... But it seemed like their brush with death had only brought the other two closer together. There they were, hugging like they hadn't seen each other in a month.

He had to find Ginny... He had to tell her he loved her. He had to say many things... Before the night was over.

Then, he might have a chance for the happiness that his two best friends had found.


End file.
